Article Posted on : - Jan 19, 2011

The implementation of the new contract will begin with the technical overhaul of Surcouf (in photo) in spring 2011.

TOULON, FRANCE (BNS): European shipbuilder DCNS has received a major contract from the French Navy to provide operational maintenance services for its La Fayette-class multi-mission stealth frigates.

The contract, worth over 60 million euro (USD 80 million), makes way for providing maintenance support to five La Fayette-class frigates – Aconite, Courbet, Guépratte, La Fayette and Surcouf – at DCNS's Toulon facility for five years from 2011 to 2015.

The implementation of the contract will begin with the technical overhaul of Surcouf in spring 2011, DCNS said.

The contract stipulates for DCNS to establish a construction site and an industrial organisation fully dedicated for the maintenance programme.

Thus, around a steering team gathered and presented on the site in question, human resources (engineers, buyers, processors, mechanics, electricians, boilermakers, etc.) will be assigned to the programme for the duration of the contract, the naval defence company said.

The La Fayette-class warships, with their unique stealth design, high endurance and survivability prowess, have been designed to counter modern-day threats in hostile environments. The warships are capable of carrying heavy shipboard helicopters with powerful combat systems that could include anti-ship AM39 Exocet or Aster 15/30 missiles.

The warships have been operational in the French Navy for over a decade with the commissioning of the lead ship, La Fayette, in 1996 and the last ship, Guepratte, in 2001.